The Drama Between Elon Musk And Robert Downey Jr.

Elon Musk cameoed in 2010's "Iron Man 2," but Marvel Cinematic Universe star Robert Downey Jr. would like that to be the end of Musk's association with the character. On the October 21, 2024 episode of the "On with Kara Swisher" podcast, host Swisher asked the actor his thoughts on Musk "cosplaying Tony Stark," the billionaire inventor, tech leader, and superhero Downey Jr. portrayed in the MCU.

"I've only met him a few times," Downey Jr. said, distancing himself from Musk. "I just wish that he would control his behavior a little more, but that's not on me ... I know that this idea of 'It's all okay 'cause we've gotta get to Mars' doesn't really hold water with me," Downey Jr. continued, referencing SpaceX's goal to send both unmanned and crewed shuttles to Mars. "But again, you know, you have to look at all that he's done that demonstrates why he's valuable."

Musk certainly has displayed questionable behavior in the years since his cameo, setting himself up for a fall from grace regardless of the scientific advancements his companies have made. He's cultivated X, formerly known as Twitter, into a space filled with hate and vitriol and has donated more than $70 million to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign, according to a quarterly filing with the Federal Election Commission, as reported by NPR.

In some ways, Robert Downey Jr. cosplayed as Elon Musk as his character Tony Stark was partially influenced by Musk. According to Ashlee Vance in her 2015 book "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future," Musk gave Downey Jr. a tour of SpaceX's headquarters in 2007 and they sat down together for an extended discussion. As they talked, Downey Jr. couldn't help but feel like Musk reminded him of Tony Stark, the character he was preparing to play in 2008's "Iron Man," which would kick off the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Musk and Stark were leaders who "had seized an idea to live by and something to dedicate themselves to," Downey Jr. told Vance for her book, of which she shared an excerpt on LinkedIn. "[Musk and Stark] became contemporaries. Elon was someone Tony probably hung out with and partied with or more likely they went on some weird jungle trek together to drink concoctions with the shamans," Downey Jr. said.

As Musk has changed quite rapidly in recent years, especially since his takeover of Twitter in 2022, don't expect Downey Jr. to look to him for inspiration for the actor's next MCU role: Doctor Doom.